Chapter 264

Guess We’re Having Some Duels?

… Come to think of it, I should make the dungeon go even deeper, shouldn’t I? Let’s make a haniwa, a haniwa, I say!

I started thinking about that in attempt to escape reality .

I wonder if, in my attempt to do so, I instinctively started thinking about ways to strengthen my shut-in lifestyle .

“So Kehma, you don’t really, umm, want to assault me or anyone with a goblin or something like that, right?”

“Obviously, she just went off and said that herself . ”

“Sir! I did not! Master told me to say it!”

“Oh shut up, I get why you were fired from the knights . ”

“Sir! I will be silent and not say anything I don’t need to!”

“… Haaah, well alright . I trust Kehma . ”

And so I was able to quickly clear up the misunderstanding with Rokuko . Thanks for trusting me .

“So, who’s? Did something troublesome come along? Wataru, what’s the meaning of this?”

“Oh, nice, you didn’t ignore me . Weeeell, to be honest, this girl here’s my acquaintance’s daughter and I’m wanting Kehma-san to train her . It is Kehma-san, after all . Rokuko-san, you think Kehma-san’s amazing too yeah?”

“Eh? Yeah, that’s Kehma-san for you . ”

“Kehma-san is so amazing you can’t help but feel like relying on him right?”

“Well, that’s Kehma-san for you . Fufufu . ”

Rokuko started to take pride in it, like he was talking about her .

I do feel like he’s cheating me, but I’ll just keep quiet and see what happens since her accepting me taking on the girl as an apprentice is convenient . Man, Wataru’s gotten pretty good at this too .

“Oh well then I guess, we can house her in the inn… though she’s not to go into the Village Chief’s house, it’d put Kehma’s chastity at sake . ”

“Isn’t it great, Shikina-chan? We got Rokuko-san’s permission too!”

“Sir! Thank you so much, Rokuko-dono!”

Looks like their discussion wrapped itself up .

*

I decided to introduce the newbie to everyone else .

Rokuko went to her room after saying that she was going to make a new shift table incorporating Shikina and Wataru headed off to get in the hot spring, so neither of them were present .

Rei, Kinue-san, and Nerune were all currently working, so I put off introducing her to them… and thankfully, everyone else was already gathered in the backyard .

When I went there, Meat and Setsuna seemed to have just finished having a practice duel and were accepting towels and water bottles from Ichika and Nayuta .

“Oh, Goshujin-sama . Ya come to check out the trainin’? Or maybe ya came to do somethin’ indecent~?”

“Why would you think that…”

“Cause I heard that passionate scream a bit ago, wonder what that was about? Hmm?”

Meat nodded deeply, following up on Ichika’s remarks .

… Ah, so it was audible outside after all? Well, I guess I realized that after Rokuko came bursting in .

“That was just a misunderstanding . Uhh, well, it turned into us getting a new resident . Wataru’s acquaintance’s daughter . ”

“Sir! I am my excellent father’s, Dyne Kukkoro’s, eldest daughter, Shikina Kukkoro! I have become Master Kehma’s apprentice! Pleased to meet you!”

“… She said that she’d do anything, so I’m going to have her work at the inn . Please teach her how to after this . ”

“Heeh, anythin’?”

“When I asked her exactly what she meant, it turned into what you heard earlier… Ichika, please stop grinning like that, I don’t plan on doing any of that . ”

“Whaaat, I thought you’d finally got some interest in someone other than Rokuko-sama or Meat-senpai though!”

I don’t get what you’re talking about…

“By the way, did you two just have a duel? I would like to take part too!”

“Ooh! You talk the talk, can you walk the walk!? I’ll take you on then! You use a weapon? We have wooden swords . ”

As our resident battle junkie, Setsuna pounced on her offer like a wolf .

She sure is pretty energetic after just finishing a duel with Meat .

“I will accept your offer and use a wooden sword . I will show you a Raverio Imperial Knight’s swordsmanship! I may look as I do… but I was once a knight, I am confident in my skill!”

“I won’t hold back then!”

Setsuna took a stance . Standing opposite her, Shikina held up her wooden sword and did the same .

“I’m coming!”

“Yep, me too—oh right, I’m Setsuna, heya . ”

Even though the duel already began, Shikina was quickly defeated .

“I-I admit defeat… I cannot move my arms nor my legs . ”

“How should I put it…? You’re way too formal, way too easy to fight . ”

“I have heard that very thing for a long time, it is my pride!”

No, that’s not a compliment…

“Setsuna-dono is much too strong . I may look as I do, but I have been told that I have the potential to be around B-Rank . ”

“Oh? Why not try fighting me next then? I can only fight at a C-Rank level though . ”

“Yes, please! Excuse me, what was your name?”

“She’s Nayuta, my voluptuously boing boing little sister!”

“My best regards, Setsuna-dono’s voluptuously boing boing little sister Nayuta-dono!”

“… I’m voluptuously boing boing…?”

The next one she challenged was Nayuta . I didn’t think she was much of a fighter, but I guess she can? That’s a bit unexpected .

By the way, nobody denied Setsuna’s claim of her sister being voluptuously boing boing .

… The result was Nayuta’s perfect victory .

She took a distance from her opponent, threw stones, sand, kept mercilessly aiming for her eyes, used magic, as well as use other sneaky and cruel methods, resulting in her perfect victory .

“Ugwoooh, my eyes, my eeeeeyes!”

“Underhanded . As expected of Nayuta, underhanded . Heal this person’s wounds, [Healing] . ”

“Aaah, phew . Thank you, Master… I-I should have been able to…”

“Yeah, you could have won if you were able to properly exhibit your potential . ”

“That is right! I have the potential!”

No, she’s saying that she defeated you that soundly because she kept you from doing anything .

“Maybe I’d be a good opponent? Ah, I’m Ichika, yo . ”

“Sir! Please do!”

And thus is was a fight against Ichika this time .

The fight went on with them feeling like their strength was evenly match .

But in the end, Ichika came out on top .

“I-I admit defeat…”

“Phew . It’s amusin’ ya got caught by that feint . I think ya’d get stronger if you could handle ’em . ”

“Father said that to me many times! Feints are my eternal homework!”

No, that means you’re supposed to overcome them .

I used [Healing] on her again, just in case .

“I will bring shame upon the imperial knights if I can’t… th-then I just need to win at least once, right! Tiny one! Have a duel with me!”

“Okay . Fine . ”

“I will not go easy on you!”

It goes without saying, but the result of her duel with Meat ended in Meat’s complete victory .

“Whyyyy!?”

“No, Kuro-chan here’s so strong she can win against me maybe three out of every five bouts now . ”

“Haha, Senpai’s kiddy looks made ya underestimate her huh?”

Eh, Meat’s gotten strong enough to win against Setsuna? Kids grow up so fast .

I pat Meat gently on the head . Her ears and tail wiggled .

“W-wasn’t Setsuna-dono the strongest one here?”

“Eh? If you want to talk about the strongest person among us, that’d be Village Chief Kehma . I lost against him and have never won . ”

“What!? As expected of Master!”

We agreed that that was a draw…